Days of torrential rains across Nepal have triggered flash floods and landslides, causing widespread devastation from the Terai to mountainous regions, with thousands of hectares of agricultural land and properties damaged.
The heavy rains have also resulted in at least 49 deaths due to natural disasters since the early monsoon began around June 1, including landslides, floods, and thunderbolts, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
Of these fatalities, 24 were attributed to landslides, 6 to floods, and 19 to thunderbolts, with dozens more injured.
Continuous downpours since Thursday have caused rivers to overflow, inundating low-lying areas and threatening settlements across the Terai plains, while mountainous areas are facing flash floods and landslides.
According to Ngima Geli Sherpa, Ward Chairperson of Gauri Shankar Rural Municiplaity 9, a flash flood on Friday night in Godang along the Rolwaling hiking route in Dolakha district swept away several homes, leaving hotelier Jangmu Sherpa missing. Likewise, a mud flood in Syangkhola, Mustang, destroyed hectares of farmland.
Last week, five family members, including two children, died in Gulmi district when their home collapsed due to landslides.
According to media reports, incessant rainfall has submerged several districts in Nepal’s Terai region, leading to widespread inundation and severe disruptions. Landslides have disrupted county’s major highways, Araniko Highway, which connects Kathmandu with Nepal China border in Sindhupalchowk and BP Highways, which link Kathmandu with eastern Terai, Prithvi Highway, connecting the western region, bringing the vehicular movement to a halt.
Nepal, nestled in the mountainous Himalayan region with vast rivers, is frequently susceptible to natural disasters. The Nepal Meteorological Department forecasts continued heavy rain and thunderstorms in various parts of the country for the next three days.
Monsoon rains, crucial for agriculture, often bring destructive flooding and landslides in Nepal and across South Asia from June to September. Despite the devastation, these rains play a vital role in sustaining agriculture, a key livelihood for much of Nepal’s population.
In 2023, Nepal experienced similar calamities, with 57 deaths attributed to landslides and 55 to thunderbolts.
